Novena Book 820pm

MOTHER GODNOV E NA TO T HE

FOR THE NATION

OF

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Catholics have always turned instinctively for help to the Mother of God in times of need. And so, in 2012 we turn to Our Lady for help. Many of the values that shaped our Country from the

beginning seem to be at risk. Pope Benedict XVI and the American Bishops have noted the erosion of religious freedom in the United States, the first

value guaranteed by the Constitution.

This Novena to the Mother of God for the Nation will remind us of some of the central truths of

the faith, in particular, the Incarnation, passion, death, resurrection of the Lord and Mary’s unique role in our salvation. It will be, in a

way, a catechism lesson that challenges us to a deeper conversion to Christ and a more generous

life of charity.

The proximity of the Novena to the 2012 Presidential Election will also offer an

opportunity to pray for all of our government officials and seek Divine Assistance in

the elections.

1

Novena to the Mother of God for the Nation

Introduction

Catholics turn instinctively for help to the Mother

of God in times of need. During the difficult years

of persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire,

Christians prayed the Sub Tuum Praesidium. This

simple prayer was written, it seems, in the East, likely

in Egypt, before the year 250 A.D. It gives voice to the

Christian’s confidence in the Blessed Virgin:

We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God;

despise not our prayers in our necessities, but

ever deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and

blessed Virgin.

The prayer bears testimony to the Church’s faith that

Jesus Christ is God and Mary is the Mother of God

and the mother of Christ’s disciples (John 19:25-

27). Her maternal relationship to Christ and to all the

members of His Body is the foundation of Christians’

confidence in her ability to help her children on earth

who face any danger.

Nihil Obstat: Rev. Gary B. Selin, S.T.D.Assistant Professor of TheologySaint John Vianney Theological Seminary Denver, Colorado

Imprimatur: @ Robert J. Baker, S.T.D.Bishop of Birmingham in AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaAugust 7, 2012

The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat or Imprimatur agree with the

contents, opinions or statements expressed.

Copyright © 2012 by EWTN Catholic Publishing (a service of Eternal Word Television Network, Inc.)

5817 Old Leeds Road, Irondale, Alabama 35210 USATel.: 1.205.271.2900 • www.ewtn.com

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From the foundation of the United States of America,

our Bishops have expressed great trust in Mary’s

motherly protection. In 1792, for instance, America’s

first Roman Catholic Bishop, the Most Reverend John

Carroll of Baltimore, chose the Blessed Mother as

the Patroness of the United States and entrusted the

newly created nation to her care. On May 13, 1846,

the Bishops unanimously chose Mary, under the title

of The Immaculate Conception, as the Patroness of

our land. When the National Shrine of the Immaculate

Conception was dedicated in Washington D.C. in 1959,

the Bishops again solemnly entrusted the country to

her. Their prayer is well worth our consideration:

Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in Heaven, who

chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters;

Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as Your spouse;

God the Son, who chose Mary as Your Mother;

in union with Mary, we adore your majesty and

acknowledge Your supreme, eternal dominion and

authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of

America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in

order that she may present the country to you.

Through her we wish to thank you for the great

resources of this land and for the freedom which

has been its heritage. Through the intercession

of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in

America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our

President and on all the officers of our government.

Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and

charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and

labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard

the precious gift of many religious vocations.

Through the intercession of our Mother, have

mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners—

on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness

of our Land, we praise you and honor you and

give ourselves to you. Protect us from all harm.

Pray for us, that acting always according to your

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will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live

and die pleasing to God. Amen.

With these same sentiments, Catholics in 2012 turn to

the Mother of God for help. Many of the values that

shaped our Country from the beginning seem to be

at risk. Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI and the

American Bishops have noted the erosion of religious

freedom in the United States, the first value guaranteed

by the Constitution. Other fundamental truths are also

in danger: The God-given right to life of every unborn

child, the value of virginity until marriage for our

young people and the virtue of chastity for everyone,

the very definition of marriage as the indissoluble

bond between a man and a woman who are open to

receive new life from God, and the responsibility of

all to care for the disabled and the elderly until God

calls them to himself. There are many other issues,

but these alone point to the importance of prayer and

discernment.

Mary helps us, as no other, to stand in awe before

the mystery of human conception and birth, for God

himself was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and carried in her womb for nine months with love

beyond description. Mary gave birth to God-made-

man and nursed him at her breasts. We see in Mary

at one and the same time the beauty of virginity,

spousal love, and motherhood – a motherhood that

Christ extended to the entire human race. Throughout

her life and most especially as she stood with him on

Calvary, Mary cooperated by her obedience, faith,

hope and burning charity in the work of the Savior in

giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she

is our mother in the order of grace (Vatican II, Lumen

Gentium, 61). As such, Mary is the image and model

of the Church as virgin, bride, and mother. She teaches

all Christians the meaning of discipleship. Her passing

from this life to Heaven was a sharing in Christ’s

death, resurrection, and ascension and the promise of

our resurrection on the Last Day.

It has rightly been said that there is more love in Mary’s

heart than evil in the world. This is the meaning of the

Angel Gabriel’s greeting: Rejoice, Full of Grace (Lk

1:28). Mary is the Woman chosen by God to be his

mother and ours, but also to be the chief human enemy

– the nemesis – of the Evil One (Gen 3:15, Rev. 12).

From her place in Heaven, the Blessed Mother is eager

to help her children in their struggles. The Bishops at

Vatican Council II expressed this consoling truth:

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Taken up to heaven the Blessed Virgin did

not lay aside her salvific duty, but by her

constant intercession continued to bring us

the gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal

charity, she cares for the brethren of her

Son, who still journey on earth surrounded

by dangers and difficulties, until they are led

into the happiness of their true home (Lumen

Gentium, 62).

This Novena to the Mother of God for the Nation will

remind us of some of the central truths of the faith, in

particular, the Incarnation, passion, death, resurrection

of the Lord and Mary’s unique role in our salvation. It

will be, in a way, a catechism lesson that challenges us

to a deeper conversion to Christ and a more generous

life of charity. With these intentions in mind, we shall

turn to Mary and meditate on the graces of her life:

Day 1: The Immaculate Conception of the

Mother of God

Day 2: Mary’s Desire for Virginity

Day 3: The Annunciation

Day 4: The Visitation

Day 5: The Divine Motherhood of Mary

Day 6: The Wedding Feast of Cana

Day 7: Mary at Calvary

Day 8: Mary and the Mystery of Easter

Day 9: The Assumption of Mary

into Heaven

In 2012, the Novena will help us prepare for the Feast

of the Holy Rosary on October 7. During these nine

days of prayer which will begin on September 29, we

shall encounter many friends who will accompany

us and pray with us for our country: The Archangels

Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (9/29), St. Jerome

(9/30), St. Therese of Lisieux (10/1), All the Guardian

Angels (10/2), St. Francis of Assisi (10/4), and St.

Bruno and Bl. Marie Rose Durocher (10/6).

The proximity of the Novena to the 2012 Presidential

Election will offer an opportunity to pray for all our

government officials and seek Divine Assistance in

the elections. The Novena will fulfill the mandate of

St. Paul as stated in his First Letter to Timothy:

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First of all, then, I urge that supplications,

prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be

made for all men, for kings and all who are in

high positions, that we may lead a quiet and

peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.

This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of

God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved

and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim

2:1-4).

In future years, the Novena may be used to prepare for

any Marian Solemnity or Feast: Mary, Mother of God

(1/1), The Annunciation (3/25), The Visitation (5/31),

The Assumption (8/15), the Queenship of Mary

(8/22), The Sorrow of Mary (9/15), The Presentation

of Mary in the Temple (11/21), The Immaculate

Conception (12/8) and Our Lady of Guadalupe,

Queen of the Americas (12/12). Because of the

pro-life motif that runs throughout the nine days of

prayer, The Novena for the Nation may also be used

to prepare for various Pro-Life activities such as the

March for Life in Washington, D.C. in late January.

During these nine days of prayer, we encourage you

to do five things, if at all possible. This is asking a

lot and many of you will not have the time or the

ability to do everything listed here. If all you can do

is participate in the Novena on EWTN and posted on

EWTN’s website, that is in itself good. Do as many

of the following acts as you are able:

1.) Attend Mass and receive Holy

Communion each day of the Novena.

Through the Eucharist, thank God for the

many blessings He has given to our Nation.

Express all your gratitude to Him for the

blessings He has given you. Thank Him

especially for the people He has placed in

your life to love.

2.) Receive the Sacrament of Penance.

As you prepare for confession, forgive

anyone who has ever hurt you. Let go

of any grudges you may be holding. We

want to be fully reconciled with God and

all the people God has placed in our lives

through this heartfelt confession of our sins.

Invite family members and friends to go to

confession, too

3.) Read the Scripture and Pray the Rosary

each day.

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4.) Make a donation or do something

practical to help the poor.

5.) Encourage as many people as possible to

make the Novena.

When Our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine

Labouré in 1830 at the Rue du Bac in Paris, she

modeled the medal of the Immaculate Conception

that is popularly known as The Miraculous Medal.

Mary stood on a globe which Catherine understood

to be the world. As Mary’s arms reached out to

embrace her children, bright rays of light cascaded

from her hands into the world. St. Catherine asked

her: Please tell me, what is this light? The Blessed

Virgin responded, the light is the grace of my son.

Catherine was troubled because some rays of light

did not flow into the world. She asked what this

might mean. Mary said, those are graces people fail

to seek from me.

Here is a wonderful secret of prayer: Christ wants

us to go humbly to his mother in search of his help.

This is precisely what we are doing in The Novena

to the Mother of God for the Nation. Everyone who

joins in these nine days of prayer has his or her own

needs. Each person should remember to pray for the

intentions of all. Through the charity of EWTN, a

great multitude of people will gather with confidence

to pray for the assistance of the Mother of God and,

with her, to worship the Father, and the Son, and the

Holy Spirit. We await a powerful outpouring of the

graces of Heaven through Mary’s hands.

– Rev. Frederick L. Miller, S.T.D. Professor of Systematic Theology

Mount St. Mary’s Seminary Emmitsburg, Maryland

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Day 1

The Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God

You are wholly beautiful, my beloved, and without a

blemish. – Song of Songs 4:7

Prayer

We fly to your patronage,

O holy Mother of God;

Despise not our prayers in

our necessities,

But ever deliver us from

all dangers,

O glorious and blessed

Virgin.

Reflection

Since God creates an immortal soul through the

conjugal union of man and woman, the conception of

every human person is sacred. God loves every person

into being – even when the conception is an act of lust

or violence.

When the Virgin Mary was conceived in the womb of

her mother, God created her immortal soul and filled

her with his divine life. In the Immaculate Conception,

God uniquely redeemed Mary by preserving her from

Original Sin through the foreseen merits of Christ, the

Savior. From the first moment of her life, Mary was

wholly beautiful, full of grace (Lk. 1:28), without any

trace of self-centeredness, any inclination to sin and

with unparalleled freedom to love God and all other

people. In her conception, God armed Mary to destroy

the kingdom of Satan (Gen. 3:15). The charity of Christ

filled Mary from the first moment of her existence – in

the safety of her mother’s womb.

Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate

Conception in these words: We declare, pronounce,

and define that the doctrine which holds that the

most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her

conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted

by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ,

the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from

all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God

and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all

the faithful.

The good news of the Immaculate Conception is that

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there is more love in Mary’s sinless soul than there

is evil in the world. In her Immaculate Conception,

God empowered Mary to say yes freely to his plan

of salvation in Christ and to help us, her sons and

daughters, to say yes too.

Prayer

God, Almighty Father, at the moment of our

conception you loved each of us into life. You

loved Mary wondrously in her Immaculate

Conception, preserving her from inheriting the sin

of Adam through the foreseen merits of the Savior.

You prepared Mary in her conception to be the Mother

and partner of your Son and our loving mother. Give

all people an ever deeper reverence for your presence

and creative action in human conception. Help all to

recognize the evil of abortion and contraception, and all

sins which offend our Creator God. In Mary’s maternal

embrace, may every American foster reverence for

human life in our nation. We ask this through Jesus

Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Day 2

Mary’s Desire for Virginity

And Mary said to the angel,

How shall this be, since I have no husband?

– Luke 1:34

Prayer

We fly to your

patronage,


Despise not our prayers

in our necessities,


all dangers,


Virgin.

Reflection

Long before the Angel Gabriel brought Mary the

message that God had chosen her to be the mother

of his Son, she had resolved to give herself entirely

and exclusively – in the gift of perpetual virginity.

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Mary knew that God had entered into a Covenant –

a family bond – with the People of Israel on Mount

Sinai. Although the Lord had remained faithful to

the Covenant promises, Israel had not. By repeatedly

breaking the Commandments of God, Israel had

shown herself to be an adulterous spouse. Mary,

painfully aware of the history of her people as told by

the Prophets, yearned to make reparation for the sins

of her people by loving God as his faithful bride.

Here is Pope John Paul II’s description of Mary’s

desire to remain a virgin throughout her life:

Mary herself wanted to be the personal image of

that absolutely faithful bride, totally devoted to the

divine Bridegroom, and therefore she became the

beginning of the new Israel in her spousal heart....

She confirms and strengthens a consecration

already in effect, which becomes the abiding

condition of her life. She in fact replies to the Angel

of the Annunciation: “How will this come about,

since I am a virgin?” (Lk. 1:34); as if to say: I am

a virgin devoted to God, and I do not intend to

leave my spouse, because I do not think that God

wills it – He who is so jealous of Israel, so severe

with anyone who betrays him, so persistent in his

merciful call to reconciliation! Mary is well aware

of her people’s infidelity, and she wants personally

to be a bride who is faithful to her most beloved

divine Spouse.

God sent the Angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth

to tell Mary that he had accepted her desire to belong

exclusively to him and, in fact, was the source of that

desire. Mary’s longing for a life of virginity was, in

fact, a response to God’s faithful love. The Angel tells

Mary that she would conceive God’s son as a virgin

through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. She is

to be simultaneously a virgin, bride, and mother. Her

freely chosen virginity allowed Mary to belong totally

to Christ as his mother and totally to each of us as our

loving mother. The Blessed Virgin Mary witnesses that

the beautiful value of virginity is always for the sake of

spousal love and motherhood!

Prayer

Almighty and Ever-Living God, Mary gave herself to

you unreservedly through the gift of her virginity. As

she loved Jesus with an undivided heart, she continues

to love and serve all of her children on earth. Through

her example, instill in all the members of your Church a

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deeper appreciation of the value of virginity. Help all to

understand that virginity is the perfect gift that spouses

give to each other on their wedding day. Inspire many

young men and women to embrace a life of consecrated

celibacy or virginity in the priesthood and consecrated

life. Teach us all the meaning of your Son’s words:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

(Mt. 5:8). We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Day 3

The Annunciation

And Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid

of the Lord;

Let it be done to me according to your word.

– Luke 1:38

Prayer



Despise not our prayers

in our necessities,


all dangers,


Virgin.

Reflection

Scholars speculate that Mary was likely a teenager

when Gabriel came from Heaven with God’s message

of salvation. That day, God revealed to Mary her

vocation, and her role in the salvation of the world.

He revealed to her that he had a Son who would come

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into the world to save all people from sin, death, and

the dominion of Satan. God asked Mary, the New

Eve, to be the virgin mother of his eternal Son. His

plan depended on her “Yes!” God willed to open the

floodgates of mercy for the human race through Mary’s

consent to be the virgin Mother of God-made-man.

God, who needs no one to accomplish his purposes,

willed to send his Son to us through Mary’s assent of

faith.

Mary stood before God as representative of the People

of Israel and, indeed, of the entire human race. At that

moment, everything depended upon her fiat; her Yes,

let it be done unto to me according to your will. At the

Second Vatican Council, the Church stressed Mary’s

active participation in the redemption of the world.

The Council Fathers recalled the words of St. Irenaeus

of Lyon, a bishop of the 2nd century.

Mary, a daughter of Adam, consenting to the divine

Word, became the mother of Jesus, the one and

only Mediator. Embracing God’s salvific will with

a full heart and impeded by no sin, she devoted

herself totally as a handmaid of the Lord to the

person and work of her Son, under Him and with

Him, by the grace of almighty God, serving the

mystery of redemption. Rightly therefore the Holy

Fathers see her as used by God not merely in a

passive way, but as freely cooperating in the work

of human salvation through faith and obedience.

For, as St. Irenaeus says, she, “being obedient,

became the cause of salvation for herself and for

the whole human race.” Hence not a few of the

early Fathers gladly assert in their preaching,

“The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by

Mary’s obedience; what the virgin Eve bound

through her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened

by her faith.” Comparing Mary with Eve, they

call her “the Mother of the living,” and still more

often they say: “death through Eve, life through

Mary” (Lumen Gentium 56).

Through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit Mary

embraced Christ first in her mind through faith, then in

her heart through hope and charity, and finally in her

body by a miracle that only God could accomplish.

She eagerly consented to her virginal motherhood

with the full awareness that her child would be named

Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins

(Matthew 1:21). Through her fiat, Mary gave us Jesus

and is, therefore, in God’s plan, the human cause of

our salvation. We owe everything good in our lives to

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Mary, the Cause of our Joy.

Prayer

God, Almighty Father, when Mary surrendered herself

to your Word, she conceived Christ first in her mind

through faith, in her heart through hope and love, and

finally in her body through the marvelous operation of

your Holy Spirit. By her eagerness to be the mother

of your Son, she opened the floodgates of your

merciful love for all men and women. May she help

all people to live by faith, hope, love, and obedience

to your will. May she remind us always that you want

to bring salvation to our brothers and sisters through

our faith and good works. Help us to accept fully our

responsibility to combat the culture of death and foster

the culture of life in our American society. We ask this

through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Day 4

The Visitation

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the

hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the

house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when

Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped

in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy

Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed

are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your

womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother

of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when

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the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe

in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who

believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was

spoken to her from the Lord.” And Mary said, “My

soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in

God, my Savior. – Luke 1:39-47

Prayer



Despise not our prayers in our necessities,

But ever deliver us from all dangers,

O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Reflection

Mary, carrying the eternal Son of God in her womb,

went with haste to visit her aged relative, Elizabeth, and

her husband, Zechariah. The Angel Gabriel had told

Mary that Elizabeth was also pregnant: Behold, your

kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived

a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was

called barren. For with God nothing is impossible

(Luke 1: 36-37).

St. Luke, it would seem, saw 2 Samuel 6, the Old

Testament account of King David’s transfer of the

Ark of the Covenant from the from the hill country of

Judah to Jerusalem, fulfilled in the Visitation account.

St. Luke’s intention was to present Mary, making the

journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth, as the true Ark of

the Covenant – the new dwelling place of God among

his people.

Here are some points of comparison: When Jewish

people came into the presence of the Ark of the

Covenant, they would let out a joyful shout, a certain

holy noise reserved exclusively to honor God’s presence

in the Ark. When Mary entered her kinswoman’s house

and greeted her, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy

Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry. Elizabeth

used almost the exact words that King David had used

when he realized the significance of the Ark coming to

his house: And why is this granted me, that the mother

of my Lord should come to me? Finally, whereas David

danced and leaped before the old Ark of the Covenant,

it was John the Baptist in his mother’s womb who

danced and leaped before the presence of God in his

new Ark of the Covenant, Mary!

26 27

This text casts brilliant light on the meaning of the

Annunciation and Mary’s fiat. Through Mary’s assent

of faith to the word of the Angel, the eternal Son of God

came down from Heaven to dwell in her womb. The

Ark of the Covenant constructed at God’s command

by Moses and Aaron is only a type – a foreshadowing

of Mary, the true dwelling place of God. Elizabeth,

Zechariah, and the unborn John the Baptist are blessed

by Jesus living in Mary. Elizabeth blessed Son and

Mother three times: Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And blessed is

she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of

what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Prayer

Almighty and Ever-Living God, the Virgin Mary is the

new Ark of the Covenant. During the nine months of

her pregnancy, she carried your Son-made-man in her

virginal womb. From his Royal Throne, Christ began to

bring his people salvation. After his birth, which did not

diminish His mother’s virginal integrity but sanctified

it, he continued to dwell in Mary through grace and

charity with an unparalleled intensity. Father, we beg

you to send Mary to visit the United States, calling all

to faith in Christ’s Gospel of Life and conversion from

sin. May she help all to understand that her conception

of Christ in Nazareth, and her wondrous childbirth in

Bethlehem, point to the inviolable sanctity of every

conception and birth. May she help those women

who have had abortions to find God’s forgiveness

and healing. Father, turn the hearts of all advocates of

contraception and abortion to Christ, the Lord of Life.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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Day 5

The Divine Motherhood of Mary

Lo, the star which the Wise Men had seen in the East

went before them, till it came to rest over the place

where the child was. When they saw the star, they

rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into

the house they saw the child with Mary his mother,

and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening

their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and

frankincense and myrrh. – Matthew 2: 9-11

Prayer






Reflection

James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore

from 1877 to 1921, explained to his flock why Catholics

delight to honor Mary with the title Mother of God:

When we call the Blessed Virgin the Mother of

God, we assert our belief in two things: First – That

her Son, Jesus Christ, is true man, else she were

not a mother. Second – That He is true God, else

she were not the Mother of God. In other words,

we affirm that the Second Person of the Blessed

Trinity, the Word of God, who in His divine

nature is from all eternity begotten of the Father,

consubstantial with Him. He was in the fullness of

time again begotten, by being born of the Virgin,

thus taking to Himself, from her maternal womb,

a human nature of the same substance with hers.

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But it may be said the Blessed Virgin is not the

Mother of the Divinity. She had not, and she could

not have, any part in the generation of the Word of

God, for that generation is eternal; her maternity

is temporal. He is her Creator; she is His creature.

Style her, if you will, the Mother of the man Jesus

or even of the human nature of the Son of God, but

not the Mother of God.

I shall answer this objection by putting a question.

Did the mother who bore us have any part in the

production of our soul? Was not this nobler part

of our being the work of God alone? And yet who

would for a moment dream of saying “the mother

of my body,” and not “my mother?”

The comparison teaches us that the terms parent

and child, mother and son, refer to the persons and

not to the parts or elements of which the persons are

composed. Hence no one says: “The mother of my

body,” “the mother of my soul”; but in all propriety

“my mother,” the mother of I who live and breathe,

think and act, one in my personality, though uniting

in it a soul directly created by God, and a material

body directly derived from the maternal womb. In

like manner, as far as the sublime mystery of the

Incarnation can be reflected in the natural order,

the Blessed Virgin, under the overshadowing of

the Holy Ghost, by communicating to the Second

Person of the Blessed Trinity, as mothers do, a true

human nature of the same substance with her own,

is thereby really and truly His Mother.

It is in this sense that the title of Mother of God,

denied by Nestorius, was vindicated to her by the

General Council of Ephesus, in 431; in this sense,

and in no other, has the Church called her by that

title.

Prayer

God, our Almighty Father, by becoming a man your

Son revealed the goodness and holiness of human

conception, pregnancy, and birth. With tender maternal

love, the Virgin Mary conceived your eternal Son,

carried him beneath her heart, and brought him to birth.

No intervention of yours in human history illustrates

more clearly the greatness and dignity of woman than

the Incarnation. May Mary help all to believe that the

man she bore, Jesus Christ, is truly your eternal Son-

made-man. May she help all to appreciate the wonder

of conception, pregnancy, and birth. Draw all women

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in our society to her motherly embrace. Help them

understand that their children are created by you at the

moment of their conception and belong to you in this

life and in the next. Father, protect all women from

attacks against their maternal fecundity. Guard them

from those who war against them and their dignity

through the promotion of contraception, sterilization,

and abortion. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our

Lord. Amen.

Day 6

The Wedding Feast of Cana

On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in

Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus

also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.

When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to

him, “They have

no wine.” And

Jesus said to her,

“O woman, what

have you to do

with me? My hour

has not yet come.”

His mother said

to the servants,

“Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone jars were

standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification,

each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to

them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them

up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out,

and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took

it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now

become wine, and did not know where it came from

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(though the servants who had drawn the water knew),

the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and

said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first;

and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine;

but you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the

first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and

manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in

him. (John 2:1-11)

Prayer






Reflection

The first explicit mention of the Mother of Jesus in

St. John’s Gospel is at a wedding feast. Mary arrived

at the week-long celebration before Jesus. When he

arrived Mary immediately brought him a concern:

They have no wine. She wanted everyone, especially

the newlyweds and their families and friends, to enjoy

the Wedding celebration. Certainly Mary felt the

embarrassment of the young couple and was confident

in bringing their need to Jesus. He responded to her

intercession – yes, this is a powerful instance of Mary’s

maternal mediation. Changing water into wine, Jesus

performed the first great miracle of his public ministry.

St. John notes that Jesus acted to witness to his

divinity for the Apostles: This, the first of his signs,

Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory;

and his disciples believed in him. Before the miracle

the Apostles thought of Jesus as a rabbi, a kind of

professor of Torah. Seeing the water turn into wine

before their eyes, the Apostles experienced Jesus’ glory

as Messiah and Lord and began to believe in him. By

her intercession, Mary obtained saving faith for those

chosen to be the first priests of the Church. Mary, even

then, understood her right to bring every human and

spiritual need into the presence of her Son. Then in

Cana, and now in Heaven, the Mother of God desires

her Son to reveal his power as Messiah and Lord of all

creation and to save his people.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church connects the

first miracle of Jesus and the Sacrament of Matrimony:

On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his

first sign – at his mother’s request – during a wedding

feast. The Church attaches great importance to Jesus’

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presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the

confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the

proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an

efficacious sign of Christ’s presence (CCC 1613).

Mary in Heaven continues to bring the human and

spiritual needs of families into the radius of Christ’s

messianic power.

Prayer

Mother Mary, at Cana you showed that you are the

mother of many children. You understood the pain

felt by the poor and turned to your Son for help. Filled

with the Spirit of God, you also wanted Jesus’ Apostles

to share your faith in him. You understood that the

absence of faith is the worst poverty any person ever

experiences. You also knew that only God can give the

gift of faith. Bringing these needs to Jesus in prayer, rich

wine flowed through the small village of Cana and the

strong wine of faith flooded the hearts of the Apostles.

Mary, we all have needs, great and small. We are poor

in material resources and in spiritual goods. We beg

you to bring all of our needs to Jesus. You never ask

for anything that will harm your children. Jesus never

refuses any request you bring to him. Pray especially

for our families that are torn apart by marital infidelity,

domestic violence, flaws in parental love, and the pain

caused by contraception, sterilization, and abortion.

Help all to understand that the Sacrament of Matrimony

was instituted by your Son so that man and wife, in

loving one another, may encounter his grace and bring

forth children for the kingdom. Pray for your sons and

daughters who bear the heavy burden of same-sex

attraction. Help them discover the freedom chastity

imparts and its beauty. Mary, pray that our families may

live in harmony and love as you lived with Jesus and

Joseph in your home in Nazareth. Mary, we need you to

be our mother, the mother of all families. Amen.

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Day 7

Mary at Calvary

Standing by the

cross of Jesus were

his mother, and his

mother’s sister, Mary

the wife of Clopas,

and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw

his mother, and the

disciple whom he loved

standing near, he said

to his mother,“Woman, behold, your son!” Then he

said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from

that hour the disciple took her to his own home. –

John 19:25-27

Prayer






Reflection

As Mary stood close to her crucified son, she suffered

everything he suffered in her heart. God asked a great

deal of Mary on Calvary. He asked her to believe, even

though there was not human reason to believe, what

he had spoken to her through the Angel Gabriel thirty

years earlier: He will be great, and will be called the

Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to

him the throne of his father David, and he will reign

over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom

there will be no end (Luke 1:32-33).

God asked the Blessed Mother to consent to the

sacrifice of Christ by offering Jesus to the Father in an

act of worship, and in joining her own sufferings to his

for our salvation. The Fathers of the Second Vatican

Council beautifully described Mary’s maternal work

on Calvary: In a wholly singular way Mary cooperated

by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in

the work of the Savior restoring supernatural life to

souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of

grace (Lumen Gentium 61).

To reveal that Mary at the foot of the Cross was in

labor, giving birth to the Church, Jesus said: Woman,

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Behold your son. And to the Beloved Disciple who

represented each of us: Behold your mother. The

ancient Christian writer Origen of Alexandria wrote:

For if Mary, as those declare who with sound mind

extol her, had no other son but Jesus, and yet Jesus

says to His mother “Woman, behold your son” and

not “Behold you have this son also,” then He virtually

said to her “Behold, this is Jesus, whom you bore.”

Is it not the case that everyone who is perfect lives

himself no longer, but Christ lives in him, if Christ

lives in him, then it is said of him to Mary, “Behold

your son Christ.” (Origen, On John, Bk. 1, ch. 6)

St. John then observes, from that hour the disciple

took her to his home. Scripture scholars note that the

text could be translated literally as from that hour the

disciple took her into his own. Christ wants all his

beloved disciples to enter into a son-mother, daughter-

mother relationship with his mother, the first and most

perfect of his disciples. The disciple takes her into his

intimacy, asking her to teach him the ways of Christ.

Blessed John Paul II based his understanding of

consecration to Jesus through Mary on this one verse

of Scripture: “The disciple took her into his own.”

St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe had

taught him the importance of total consecration to

Jesus through Mary. These three holy priests will also

help us to give everything to Jesus through Mary.

It is so important in our perilous times to make an

act of total Consecration of oneself to Jesus through

the Blessed Virgin. Through this act of self-offering,

the Christian gives Christ everything through Mary:

body, soul, all material possessions and occupations,

and every spiritual gift. Through consecration, the

Christian freely becomes Mary’s servant and slave

so as to belong totally to Jesus. Unlike the slavery to

sin, this freely chosen slavery is the only bondage that

brings true freedom and peace. By giving everything

to Christ through Mary, the Christian is confident that

the Holy Spirit will use him to crush the head of Satan

(Gen. 3:15) and prepare for the Reign of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Prayer of Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculate Mary, Queen of Heaven and earth,

refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God

has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you.

I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet

humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am

and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and

42

property. Please make of me, of all my powers of

soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity,

whatever most pleases you.

If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without

reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you:

“She will crush the serpent’s head,” and, “You alone

have destroyed all heresies in the whole world.” Let

me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful

hands for introducing and increasing your glory to

the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent

souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the

blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of

conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through

your hands that all graces come to us from the most

Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin.

R. Give me strength against your enemies.

Amen.

Day 8

Mary and the Mystery of Easter

For I delivered to you as of first importance what

I also received, that Christ died for our sins in

accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried,

that he was raised on the third day in accordance

with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas,

then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than

five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are

still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he

appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of

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all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

(1 Cor. 15:3-7)

Prayer






Reflection

Saturday is Mary’s day. The origin of this custom

seems to be the sense among Christians that Mary alone

believed firmly in Christ’s resurrection from the dead

once his body was laid in the tomb on Holy Saturday.

All of the other disciples were, at best, distraught

and confused by Jesus’ promise that he would rise

from the dead. Mary alone did not falter in her faith.

It is precisely this faith that the Church honors each

Saturday of the year.

Blessed John Paul II explained in a General Audience

Address that Mary was very likely the first disciple to

see and embrace the risen Lord:

Indeed, it is legitimate to think that the Mother

was probably the first person to whom the risen

Jesus appeared. Could not Mary’s absence from

the group of women who went to the tomb at

dawn (cf. Mk 16:1; Mt 28:1) indicate that she had

already met Jesus? This inference would also be

confirmed by the fact that the first witnesses of

the Resurrection, by Jesus’ will, were the women

who had remained faithful at the foot of the Cross

and therefore were more steadfast in faith. Indeed,

the Risen One entrusts to one of them, Mary

Magdalene, the message to be passed on to the

Apostles (cf. Jn. 20:17-18). Perhaps this fact too

allows us to think that Jesus showed himself first to

his Mother, who had been the most faithful and had

kept her faith intact when put to the test. Lastly,

the unique and special character of the Blessed

Virgin’s presence at Calvary and her perfect union

with the Son in his suffering on the Cross seem to

postulate a very particular sharing on her part in

the mystery of the Resurrection. (21 May 1997)

The Scriptures tell us that after Christ ascended into

heaven, Mary remained with the Apostles as they

awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14).

She was with the Twelve on Pentecost and, with

44 45

them, received the Holy Spirit. The Twelve received

the Spirit for their work of preaching the Gospel and

baptizing people of every nation. Mary received the

Holy Spirit for her mission as mother of Christ’s

disciples. Until the end of the world Mary, Mother of

the Church, will help her children live by faith, spread

the faith, and work tirelessly for the conversion of all

men and women to Christ.

St. Louis de Montfort in his masterpiece, True

Devotion to Mary, explains that Mary, assumed into

Heaven, shares her faith with her children on earth:

Mary will share her faith with you. Her faith on

earth was stronger than that of all the patriarchs,

prophets, apostles and saints. Now that she is

reigning in heaven she no longer has this faith,

since she sees everything clearly in God by the light

of glory. However, with the consent of almighty

God she did not lose it when entering heaven. She

has preserved it for her faithful servants in the

Church militant. Therefore the more you gain the

friendship of this faithful Virgin the more you will

be inspired by faith in your daily life (214).

Catholics today need to be strengthened by Mary to

stand firm in the fight for the protection of human life

from conception to natural death and the preservation

of the religious freedom guaranteed to American

citizens by the Constitution. May she who has been

chosen by God to crush the head of the ancient serpent

(Gen. 3:15), accomplish the renewal of faith and

apostolic zeal in our land through the labor of Catholics

dedicated to the Gospel.

Prayer

Confer, O Lord, on us, who serve beneath the standard

of Mary, that fullness of faith in you, and trust in her,

to which it is given to conquer the world. Grant us a

lively faith, animated by charity, which will enable

us to perform all our actions from the motive of pure

love of you, and ever to see you and serve you in

our neighbor; a faith, firm and immovable as a rock,

through which we shall rest tranquil and steadfast

amid the crosses, toils and disappointments of life; a

courageous faith which will inspire us to undertake

and carry out without hesitation great things for your

glory and for the salvation of souls; a faith which will

be our Pillar of Fire – to lead us forth united – to kindle

everywhere the fires of divine love – to enlighten those

who are in darkness and in the shadow of death – to

46 47

inflame those who are lukewarm – to bring back life

to those who are dead in sin; and which will guide our

own feet in the way of peace; so that when the battle of

life is over, all of Mary’s children without the loss of

any one, may be gathered together in the kingdom of

Your love and glory. Amen.

(Adapted from Tessera of the Legion of Mary)

Day 9

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark

of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there

were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,

an earthquake, and heavy hail. A great sign appeared

in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon

under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

– Rev. 11:19–12:1

48 49

Prayer






Reflection

In his homilies on Our Blessed Mother, St. Francis

de Sales preached that Mary was perfectly one with

Christ on Calvary in his worship of the Father. She

offered him lovingly back to the Father and she

offered her sufferings for her children. The Saint tells

us that Mary would have died with Christ on Calvary

had her Son not prevented her. Jesus willed that she

stay for some time with the Church on earth after his

ascension into heaven and share in his death of love

later.

When the time willed by God arrived, Mary died a

natural death – but a death that was consciously an act

of worshipful love. The Mother of God longed with her

whole being to be with Jesus in his Kingdom. When

the moment of death came, she offered herself as

Jesus had offered himself to the Father at the moment

of his death. Entrusting herself into his embrace,

Mary, on fire with the Holy Spirit, transformed her

death into an act of love of the Father – a Eucharistic

act of worship in, through and with Christ.

Preserved from the corruption of the grave, Mary was

raised from the dead by Christ and taken, body and

soul, into the glory of heaven. In 1950, Pope Pius

XII solemnly defined that the Assumption of Mary is

an integral part of the Christian Revelation: By the

authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed

Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority,

we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely

revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God,

the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course

of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into

heavenly glory.

Mary’s dormition, that is, her death, resurrection,

and assumption into glory, are a source of hope for

Christians who believe in the resurrection of the

dead and the life of the world to come. The Fathers

of the Second Vatican Council taught: As the Mother

of Jesus, glorified in body and soul in heaven, is the

image and beginning of the Church as it is to be

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perfected is the world to come, so too does she shine

forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come,

as a sign of sure hope and solace to the people of

God during its sojourn on earth (Lumen Gentium 68).

From her place in Heaven, Mary intercedes with and

through Christ for all of the needs of her children on

earth.

Prayer

Mary, Mother of God and our dear Mother, be with

us at the hour of our death. Help us understand that,

by dying for us, your Son transformed death into

an act of worship of the Father – a sacred moment

of passage from this life to the next; a moment

determined by God alone. Fortified by the sacraments

of the Church, help us to die as you did – in an act of

love and self-offering for the salvation of others. Holy

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at

the hour of our death. Amen.

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